Einheit
by Lazlo Pizazzlo
Summary: Italy and Japan take notice of Germany's odd behavior one day in October: no training? No yelling? And what's this strange note on the gate at his house? The two former-Axis powers make it their ultimate goal to find out.


_Haha, it's been a while since I uploaded anything...[sweat] This is my first Hetalia fic, and it won the Humor category at Naka-kon 2011...XD; Idk what to say to that at all. [slinks away]_

_I'm not very good at humor/light-hearted stuff, so take it easy, but enjoy! _

_-Laz_

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"Uwaah, why is it so cold today?" an auburn-haired man whined as a cold gust of air hit him like a slap to the face. His unruly curl wavered in the breeze, almost shaking itself with chill.

_"Italy, if you keep arriving late, we're not eating lunch for the next week!" _

He cried out at the memory, terrified of the threat that he had received from his best friend (and also long-time commander,) Germany. He was always so strict with rules, Italy gulped; couldn't he once just understand that sleeping was a big deal over at Italy's house? He had tried his best for the past few days and arrived significantly earlier than he had normally, but today seemed like it would break his "early" streak.

The cold, freezing his limbs and zapping his nose and cheeks numb, caused the little country much difficulty in running. His lungs burned with every breath he took; the less he breathed, the dizzier he felt, but the more he breathed, the more pain he received. Italy was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and with no pasta!

So Italy went in a cycle; jogging and stopping, then walking, and jogging again. He hoped that this would conserve his energy at the least, but at this rate, he knew that he would be late to Germany's daily combat training session. It always started at seven o'clock sharp, and there were no clocks in sight; he had no idea if he was ten minutes late or ten hours. Guilt began to build up on Italy's shoulders. Normally these days, he would be there five minutes late at maximum, but this cold weather was slowing him down. He shivered, hugging his chest and moaning a tone of disapproval.

"Why is it so cold today?" he whined again.

After a few minutes, Germany's house was in sight. Italy beamed as his entire outlook on the morning shifted suddenly. Germany was so nice sometimes, Italy thought; maybe he would let Italy warm up inside, even though he was already ten minutes late? Nonetheless, the cheery little country felt his feet fly, carrying him closer and closer to his commander's house. His arms let go of his torso, letting the icy wind embrace him, and he threw his hands in the air.

"Germany, Germany! Let me warm up inside your house!" Italy cried merrily. But soon after crying out, he noticed a tranquil and silent man standing at Germany's gate, looking around in confusion and fear. Italy hummed a questioning note as he approached him; he certainly recognized the country standing there, but it wasn't like him to look so puzzled. Perhaps the cold weather had slowed him down, too, Italy gasped. It was out of his character to be late to training, but the bitter October weather could make any punctual person otherwise.

"Italy-san!" the man cried. Though loud to the kimono-dressed man, Italy found that he could barely hear him.

"Japan," Italy greeted, waving his hands, "are you late, too? That's great; now I won't have to be the only one in trouble."

Japan's concerned face did not soften at Italy's carefree and ignorant comment; he glanced at the black steel gate before him, then back at Italy as he neared. With the lack of response that Italy received, the pasta lover began to feel the heavy, uneasy air that surrounded his friend. He frowned, looking around the surrounding area to see if there were any suspicious people around that could've possibly contributed to the strange aura.

"What's wrong?" Italy asked fearfully.

"Germany-san…he wrote this note." Japan's brown eyes were full of concern as he extended his hand that held a worn sheet of paper. On it were words written in black ink, bold and in all capital letters; it certainly grabbed the attention of Italy. He took it hastily with deep worry about his friend, taking a closer look at it and reading it carefully;

_No training today. _

_- Germany. _

Italy gasped, nearly letting the paper slip through his now-weakened grip. Though he was tremendously overjoyed that he would not have to exert any physical effort that day, he was still disturbed by how abrupt and blunt the note was. Canceling training was nothing like the burly Germany that he knew; the three of them worked in rain or shine. This had to be a first for them since they all met, and that alone was enough to send Italy screaming.

"I saw it was taped to the front gate here; I don't know what to make of it," Japan frowned as the wind tousled his ebony hair. "What if he's ill? The weather is awful out here, after all."

Italy shrieked at the thought of his closest comrade sick in bed. Wait, what if it was something more than just a cold? What if Germany had the flu? Italy frowned, mouth agape. The flu was known to kill people...what if Germany was an unlucky one? Or...cancer! Suddenly the harsh air against his skin didn't matter so much anymore. His friend was in mortal danger.

"Uwaaah!" Italy cried, tears forming in his eyes. "Germany! I don't want you to die!"

"Italy-san, please, calm down," Japan said sternly, nearly embarrassed by how extravagant his friend's thoughts had become. "I'm sure he's just sick with a mild cold and doesn't want it to get worse by going outside."

Japan's reasoning did not reach Italy's grief-clouded mind, but he didn't bother to commit any more time to him out in the biting cold weather. He directed his gaze toward the house that stood next to them; it was quite large, built of brick and stone, and he caught himself fantasizing about the warmth on the inside. Japan shivered, fighting the urge to huddle his arms to his chest.

"We need to do something, however," Japan continued aloud, not caring if Italy was listening amidst his hysteric blubbering and sobbing. "Italy-san, we should help him get well. Cooking is both of our specialties; perhaps we shall make him a meal – something light on the stomach…"

The thought of food perked Italy up out of his grieving thoughts quite quickly. "Eh? A meal for Germany…" he trailed off. "What if he can't get out of his bed to answer the door?" He felt tears bubble up behind his eyes as he envisioned Germany paralyzed by some fatal disease.

"We'll figure something out, Italy-san," Japan smiled. Italy wiped his eyes with his sleeve, sniffing loudly and heaving a shaky sigh.

"O-okay," he stammered, overcoming his hiccupping sobs slowly, "W-we'll save him…!" He turned to the house, cupping his mouth and, screamed as loud as he possibly could:

"**We'll save you, Germany!"**

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The two allies had gone their separate ways, gathering ingredients to make their own traditional foods for their ill friend. Italy and Japan had been in close contact over the few hours it took to finish their cooking, and once the pizza was finished and the rice was steamed, the two set back out for Germany's home. Upon meeting there, they opened the black steel gate while balancing containers full of pleasant aromas and exquisite tastes. They went up the two steps to the house and rang the doorbell with a free elbow.

Italy pressed his ear against the cold door, listening for movement. He could only hear barking from Germany's three dogs, Aster, Blackie, and Berlitz. He frowned, receiving the sound of silence from any human bustling.

"So what happens if he doesn't answer?" Italy asked, hugging the warm pans against his shivering torso. Japan never shifted his gaze from the door, pondering the situation at hand.

"We'll have to find another way in if he doesn't," Japan finally replied. Italy made a noise of both fear and disapproval. "It may be difficult, but our friend needs our help, and I'm not willing to let hours of labor go to wa –"

Before Japan could finish his statement, the door's lock clicked, the latch coming undone, and the door swung open, revealing a burly, masculine blonde-haired man. His figure was dressed in a tight black t-shirt and khaki pants trailing to his ankles.

"Germany!" Italy cried happily. It was a relief to him to see him on his feet; not even his perfectly-slicked back hair looked messy. Perhaps there was a chance he didn't have cancer, he thought optimistically. "_Grazie dio! _Thank God you're standing up!"

"Japan… Italy …? What are you two doing here?" Germany's blue eyes lit up in surprise, almost something of a joyful emotion; it was such a rare sight for Germany to be like this. The countries stared at each other for moments on end, waiting for someone to say something.

"Germany-san," Japan finally said gently, holding the basket of onigiri and miso soup close to his chest, "we're here to visit you. Italy and I were concerned that you were under the wea –"

"We brought food!" Italy interrupted, nearly knocking Japan's basket out of his arms as he leaped forward. Germany moved but an inch, as if expecting Italy's jolt of excitement. His overall stature, however, remained stiff, as if weighed down by cement. Italy continued to smile his carefree grin. "Can we come in and eat it with you?"

Germany's stomach growled quietly; his hand came up, clutching it to silence the noise. Italy eagerly bounced, recognizing the signs of hunger that he had been so familiar with all his life. His excitement only became more vigorous as he saw his friend begin to grow more accepting to the invitation.

"I suppose," Germany attempted a friendly smile, only resulting in an awkward facial expression that shook Japan slightly. "Come on in."

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The food had been spread out on Germany's coffee table; Italy's pastas and pizza sat next to Japan's various traditional recipes. The room was filled a strange, yet appetizing aroma of Italian and Japanese cuisines, and again, Germany's stomach had growled. His three dogs wandered into the living room, noses in the air; their stomachs had begun to rumble as well. Blackie, the German Shepard, climbed onto the sofa with his master, watching him intently.

"Let's dig in! I'm hungry!" Italy exclaimed, taking a bowl of ramen and a slice of pizza. Japan bowed at the table, chanting a silent "_itadakimasu"_before taking a rice ball from his basket as Germany hesitantly took a piece of Italy's homemade pizza. The room fell silent as the three began to fill their stomachs.

Japan watched Germany from the corner of his eye, looking for any sign of illness. He was eating his slice of pizza normally, chugging it down half as fast as Italy was. He found that to be strange; normally, an ill person would reject eating such a filling dish, let alone that quickly, but Germany seemed otherwise. Everything in the room was orderly and clean, just as it always had been. Something was amiss.

Could it be that Germany wasn't sick after all? Japan gasped silently. What else was there, then? Why did Germany cancel training so abruptly?

"Uwah, your food is so yummy, Japan!" Italy marveled after swallowing the last bit of ramen in his bowl. Japan was shaken out of his thoughts as the country praised his culinary talent. "Ramen's just like pasta; except it's in soup…it's like watery spaghetti!"

The Asian warmly smiled at his counterpart, truly appreciative that he enjoyed his cooking to such an extent. Italy wasn't eating with chopsticks, which mildly irked Japan, but understood that Westerners were very foreign to the concept, and only few knew how to use them. He looked back down at his rice ball, suddenly taking notice of a blonde dog licking at his hand impatiently. He was quite large, with golden locks of hair covering his body like a blanket. Japan blinked, regaining his composure.

"Aster, don't bug Japan for food," Germany scolded the Golden Retriever, who promptly backed off of the ebony-haired man and sat slightly farther away from him. Aster's brown eyes gazed at Japan, begging for a bite of his onigiri; Japan, with his weakness for cute things, broke under the stare of the dog, and his cheeks flushed with red.

"It is a special occasion, so I think it'd be improper to leave your dogs out," he smiled, breaking a piece of his rice ball off and holding it out to Aster. The dog sniffed it, but instead of going for the small piece, he leaned over Japan and snatched the rest of it, prancing off behind the sofa to eat it in silence.

Germany sighed, rubbing his head. "Aster can be rude sometimes when he's hungry. Sorry."

"No offense taken." Japan replied, eating the smaller piece after glancing at it. Italy's laughs broke the quietness of the room as a Doberman licked his face. The dog's front paws were perched on him, Italy flailing about with a piece of pizza in one hand.

"You're so cute, doggie! Yes, you are!" Italy squealed. He patted Berlitz on the head, who stopped kissing him for a moment or two. "Do you want my pizza? It's yummy and it'll help you grow big like Germany."

The Doberman barked in reply.

"Don't feed him an entire slice of pizza, Italy!" Germany yelled.

"But Japan said we should include them," Italy said, frowning. The commander of the group growled, crossing his arms.

"Fine. Give him a little part of the crust or something."

"Ve~!" Italy smiled, breaking off part of the crust and popping it into Berlitz's mouth. He caught it, munching sloppily and swallowing it in mere seconds. "Good boy!"

The burly blonde-haired man dug his forehead into his gloved hand, regretting his consent to Italy; he imagined all the carbs that were now circulating through the Doberman, only to become pounds of fat later on. Japan's brown eyes were glued to Germany, sensing a disturbance, but for the wrong reason. He, nonetheless, reached into his basket, searching around for a ceramic pot that contained fine jasmine tea. He brewed it hot, hoping that it would stay the same temperature for the duration of the journey, but as his hand grasped something smooth and hard, he realized that it had lost significant warmth. He pulled it out still; it wasn't desirably warm, but at least it wasn't scorching, he thought.

"Germany-san, would you care for some tea?" Japan asked, setting the pot on the middle of the table. Germany perked up at the question, realizing what a drafty day it was outside. Tea sounded lovely, he thought, with his insides already warming at the idea.

"Sure," he nodded humbly, setting his elbows upon his knees in anticipation for a steaming cup. Japan smiled, still uncertain of his friend's current state; he wanted to inquire about it, but decided to wait until a little longer. Nonetheless, Japan poured the warm tea into three small ceramic cups, passing them to his two comrades. Italy stood suddenly, raising his glass so abruptly that the liquid nearly spilled.

"We should have a toast!" Italy exclaimed, glancing down at Germany, who stared at him blankly. "To food, happiness, and…health…!" He stumbled on the last word, remembering the reason why they were before Germany in the first place. He fought a melancholy frown, gripping his cup tighter as if it were a stress ball. "_Salute_!"

"_Kanpai_," Japan agreed. Germany sighed, nodding as he, too, mumbled his native way of giving hope to the future.

"_Prost_."

The former Axis Powers lifted their glasses at once, clanking them together and taking a drink simultaneously. Italy's taste for earthy-flavored water hadn't developed quite yet, but he managed to swallow it down. If only he brought wine from his house, he thought.

Germany, on the other hand, gazed at his cup, admiring the amber liquid. He realized just then how much food was on his coffee table, as small as it was, and how much time went into it all; all this trouble, this time, just to stop by and share it with him. He felt a smile spread across his face; Germany felt so…special. His allies were two in a million for throwing him such a celebration on their days off. Unconsciously, Germany let words creep out of his mouth and into the air.

"How…how did you know it was my birthday today?"

The room froze. Germany's aura remained bright and warm.

"C-come again?" Japan stammered.

"How did you know that my birthday was today?" Germany repeated merrily, taking another gulp of Japan's tea. He never talked so freely and openly; it sounded odd in the air, but his happiness was beginning to overflow. "I mean, today is really _Tag der Deutschen Einheit_¸ but it is technically my birthday. My holidays can get so confusing – I'm just surprised you two can understand that this one actually matters."

Japan could only sit quietly, eyes cast down, playing with his chopsticks underneath the table. He was at a loss for words, and had no idea how to break the silence. To be alone on such a special day, he thought, would be such a tragedy. He usually didn't mind solitude; he lived in it every day of his life, but Germany was and always would be surrounded by countries. For no one to pay attention to his birthday should've been a crime. He felt so sorry for Germany. Not even he, or Italy knew, and they misled him into thinking they did.

"So you don't have cancer?" Italy asked, relieved. Germany merely stared at him, unable to form words at the irrational thought, but didn't bother to question.

"Germany-san, you mean to say that you don't have anyone here to celebrate it with you?" Japan questioned in attempts to get out of the tricky situation they were in. Germany's face darkened slightly, realizing the harsh reality that he had come to know.

"Yes." He frowned, eyes glued to the ground. "I think I'm a little bit unapproachable due to all of my crazy bosses back in the day. So I guess I'm not too surprised that no one's sent me anything in the mail. Prussia hasn't said anything about taking me out for a drink yet; he gets really angsty and anti-social around this time."

"Maybe we could take you out tonight?" Italy asked. "Your beer is really good, and you're really silly when you're drunk!"

"You've done enough for me today; I wouldn't want to be a bother." Germany replied, looking away. In his heart, Italy's invitation did sound very tempting, if not fun; he couldn't bring himself to take him up on the offer, though. "But I really do appreciate you two coming by for a meal on your day off. I owe you both."

Japan clenched his fists, keeping them firmly in his lap in attempts to keep his feelings of pity for his friend and anger toward Germany's neighboring countries bottled inside. He found it to be unbearable, and his cheeks began to turn red with pressure. Even he received gifts in the mail from Hong Kong and Taiwan when his birthday came around; Germany should be no different. No one should discriminate against a country because of their boss.

"You owe us to allow you to take you out to celebrate tonight, Germany-san!" Japan exclaimed, though hushed to everyone else. His brows were knitted, a small frown upon his face as if to look enraged or determined. Italy waved his arms in the air happily.

"Yeah, you do!"

Germany's cheeks turned red, even when his eyes remained shocked and uncertain. These two countries – his friends – were the only people who showed interest in his own happiness. He swallowed, looking down. Drinks with his two friends; not his brother who always made him slap the money on the table. Germany appreciated getting wasted with Prussia; he had fairly earned the title of Germany's drinking buddy. He cracked all the wise jokes and drew attention to himself, which, when Germany's mind was under the influence, was very amusing. But tonight, seeing Italy laugh drunkenly at the wall and Japan loosen up because of alcohol sounded strangely…kind. Germany finally smiled, nodding.

"O-okay. Fine," he muttered just loud enough for the others to hear. Italy gasped, waving his arms in the air.

"Yaay! Germany~! We're going to have so much fun!" Italy hopped up, throwing himself onto Germany, and wrapping his arms around him. Germany made a noise of disapproval, but didn't seem to be in the regular mood to cast him off. The dogs barked, sensing the excitement amongst them. "_Buon compleanno_, captain!"

Italy put his hands on Germany's shoulders, giving him a traditional Italian kiss on the cheek. Germany turned red, struggling to get out of his tight hug, finding it to be increasingly uncomfortable to be beneath the careless country. Oh, how he hated Italian customs.

"Italy! Stop –! Get off of me!"

Japan stood, ready to assist his ally, but decided to let Italy continue his affectionate actions. He had been burdened with his own extravagant imagination all day; it seemed only fair for him to breathe a sigh of relief and show his friend truly how much he cared for him. Seeing the two countries so close together sent a soft, gentle feeling through Japan's body; it was genuine happiness. In that moment, the trio felt their bond grow stronger by each passing second. Perhaps they were the strongest allies in the entire world…

"_Otanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu,_" Japan muttered, folding his hands, smiling. "I may have misunderstood you, Germany-san, but I wish you a happy birthday all the same."


End file.
